TY - JOUR

T1 - Power in the courtroom

T2 - Judicial perspectives on care‐experienced girls and women in court

AU - Fitzpatrick, Claire

AU - Hunter, Katie

AU - Staines, Jo

AU - Shaw, Julie

PY - 2024/11/26

Y1 - 2024/11/26

N2 - This article focuses on rarely heard judicial perspectives, and the little explored challenges facing care‐experienced girls and women in court. Drawing on semi‐structured interviews with judges and magistrates, it reveals how the court process may be a disempowering and inadequate process for both the powerful and the powerless. Using the four elements of procedural justice as a lens to explore this – voice, trust, neutrality and respect – we highlight the immense challenges of achieving these goals for those with histories of being stigmatised and marginalised. In searching for solutions, the concept of ‘judicial rehabilitation’ enables consideration of how we might rehabilitate our systems and imagine a more hopeful approach to justice.

AB - This article focuses on rarely heard judicial perspectives, and the little explored challenges facing care‐experienced girls and women in court. Drawing on semi‐structured interviews with judges and magistrates, it reveals how the court process may be a disempowering and inadequate process for both the powerful and the powerless. Using the four elements of procedural justice as a lens to explore this – voice, trust, neutrality and respect – we highlight the immense challenges of achieving these goals for those with histories of being stigmatised and marginalised. In searching for solutions, the concept of ‘judicial rehabilitation’ enables consideration of how we might rehabilitate our systems and imagine a more hopeful approach to justice.

KW - girls and women

KW - care‐experienced

KW - judiciary

KW - courts

KW - power

U2 - 10.1111/hojo.12588

DO - 10.1111/hojo.12588

M3 - Journal article

JO - Howard Journal of Crime and Justice

JF - Howard Journal of Crime and Justice

SN - 2059-1098

ER -